Southwest Cotton Ginners' School under way at USDA center
The annual Southwest Cotton Ginners' School, which began Monday at the USDA's Agricultural Research Service facilities north of the city, is again offering various levels of instruction for gin employees from across several states.

Tech fermenting knowledge about wine
Tim Dodd believes Lubbock should position itself as the center of the Texas wine industry, so he and others at Texas Tech's Wine Marketing Research Institute are working toward that end.

Y2K fears to limit vacation time
CLEVELAND (AP) Save the champagne for another occasion. This New Year's Eve is going to be dry for thousands of workers pulling Y2K duty.

Fortune 500 profits decline
NEW YORK (AP) Profits at the Fortune 500 companies declined for the first time in seven years in 1998 as U.S. companies suffered the effects of the economic crisis in Asia, Russia and Latin America.

Ameritech pursues SBC merger
CHICAGO (AP) Ameritech Corp. is selling its cellular business in three states to GTE Corp. for $3.27 billion to help satisfy federal stipulations for Ameritech's merger with SBC Communications.

Taxpayers seek volunteer help
NEW YORK (AP) As the government's April 15th tax deadline looms, Yinel Lora is in great demand. Though just 21 and still in college, she has a talent sought by millions of Americans: She can do taxes.

Risky business
MOSCOW (AP) Dunkin' Donuts has taken its Boston Cremes back to Boston. Pizza Hut, unable to capture a large slice of the Russian market, has closed its Moscow restaurants. And Ben and Jerry's ice cream operation melted away on the rocky road of Russian capitalism.

Keep Profits On Farm
Keep Profits On FarmDROUGHT AND LOW COMMODITY prices are conspiring to make life miserable for U.S. farmers, who were in Washington, D.C., recently asking for billions of dollars in new federal aid for beleaguered agriculture.

Behind Enemy Lines
DEFENSE SECRETARY William Cohen referred to the three American soldiers who were captured by Serbs as having been "illegally detained."

High-Tech Sets Pace
IS AMERICA'S ECONOMY too hot not to cool down? The economy has added 15 million jobs during the decade. Unemployment and inflation rates violate the conventional wisdom that a very low unemployment rate and increasing inflation must go together.

Tough Plea Bargains
CRIMINAL DISTRICT ATTORNEY Bill Sowder noted that public awareness has changed the nature of plea bargains in DWI fatality cases. Our thought is that it took the public too long to become aware.

Cartoon Movie Vices
WHEN ANIMATION PIONEER Walt Disney announced plans to produce the first full-length animated movie, he was ridiculed, and his project was called "Disney's Folly."

Prairie Dog Plight
THE PRAIRIE DOG population's dwindling numbers across the country have the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considering placing them on the endangered species list. Such action could place a hardship on landowners in the South Plains where prairie dogs continue to thrive.

'Monday Night Football' returns kickoff
After a year with a 7 p.m. starting time, a year that saw "Monday Night Football" score its lowest ratings ever, ABC is moving the prime-time sportscast back to its old 8 p.m. berth.

Lady Hawks take sixth in tourney
The Lubbock Lady Hawks, a girls basketball team consisting of high school and junior high players from around the area, placed sixth out of 32 teams in a tournament in Tempe, Ariz., this weekend.

Officers Criticized
I don't believe that the Hampton coach issue is an issue of racism. In my opinion, this is an issue of closed-minded, ignorant police officers who presumed guilt prior to investigation.

Stopped By DPS
Re: The letter, "DPS Speeding Ticket" (A-J, 3-24). I would also like to vent some frustration from the experience I had on Feb. 23, 1999. I was on my way home from sales calls in New Mexico. I had my cruise control set on 62 mph (I have oversized tires on my pickup, therefore 62 mph equals 70 mph). I had passed by one DPS and he went right by, no violation.

Editorial Criticized
Just when I thought that Don Feder's description of a recent study in Developmental Psychology was ridiculous (3-13), along comes The A-J's even more preposterous editorial on the same study (3-21). It's clear from your summary of the paper that none of the editors even read it. You stated that Dr. Elizabeth Harvey's conclusion was that "mothers don't matter."

Getting your kicks
These days, folks hear a lot of shouts and grunts coming from Traci Preston's aerobics room at the YWCA. But they're not learning self-defense or hurting one another they're exercising.

Racism ignores individuality
Racism is defined as prejudice against (or for) a person on the basis of skin color. I have seen racism against people of every color: white, black, and Hispanic. It is not something limited to one group of people. It is something which cannot be changed all at once but must be looked at one person at a time.

Nostalgia hats making big statement
SUBHEAD:Today's fashion-forward hats are a far cry from yesterday's demure Easter bonnets, but they all have one thing in common: A wonderful hat celebrates spring and reveals a woman's most feminine side.

Racism still alive in schools
Racism, a potent topic, is always present in our society, no matter how much we try to hide it. Even at the high school level, teens are constantly made aware of racial issues.

Crime Wrap, April 6. 1999
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or any other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.

Weather service probes possible tornado in Motley County
''Horrendous'' and ''frightening'' are words two Northfield residents used to describe a storm early Monday that uprooted trees, demolished barns and tossed fences and farm equipment to and fro.
National Weather Service officials and Motley County officials were in the small community 80 miles northeast of Lubbock on Monday trying to determine if a tornado caused the damage.

Teen remains hospitalized from wreck
Three people injured in a Sunday night automobile crash were released from hospitals Monday. A fourth, the most seriously injured person, was in satisfactory condition, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Man's death still a mystery
An autopsy Monday failed to conclusively determine how 30-year-old Larry Baird died, a spokesman for the Medical Examiner's Office said.

Engineering memories
Three World War II engineers met in Lubbock recently to remember how they helped delay the German army's advance during the crucial Battle of the Bulge by felling trees, blowing up tanks and blocking roads.

Arson suspected in frat house fire
An arsonist set fire to the Delta Sigma Phi house early Monday, destroying the building's interior and the fraternity's collection of memorabilia, a fire official said.

Child causes apartment fire
A child playing with a lighter caused an apartment fire Saturday night that displaced eight residents of the unit, a fire department investigator said.

Authorities look into man's death
Authorities are investigating the death of a 30-year-old Lubbock man who was found in his bedroom Saturday, according to a police report.

Parents outraged at change
Parents of Springlake-Earth Junior High School students say they are outraged by the prospect of school officials moving their children into the district's elementary school to save money.
In response, the district will hold a public hearing at 7:45 p.m. Tuesday at the district's administration offices about halfway between Springlake and Earth on U.S. 70.

Publisher finds education, politics comic
(EDITOR'S NOTE The following article appeared in the Feb. 10, 1924, edition of the Lubbock Morning Avalanche as part of the "Early Days on the Plains" series and was written by James J. Dillard, founder of the newspaper. In this, the ninth installment of a 25-part series, he offers a somewhat humorous anecdote of his experiences as a teacher at the old Groves School in Lubbock, as well as incidents in Lubbock during and after the election campaigns, both regional and national, of 1896).
The Bean ranch house, a dugout and 'dobe building, was on section 6, block D-2, about 14 miles northwest of Lubbock, instead of northeast as I was made to say in last week's issue.

Continuance issued in custody case
JACKSONVILLE {AP} An East Texas mother whose 6-month-old triplet died recently while in foster care will have to wait a week to find out if she will be allowed to keep her two surviving triplets.

American groups violate sanctions
BAGHDAD, Iraq {AP} Two American groups trying to draw attention to the plight of Iraqis living under U.N. sanctions donated $50,000 worth of medicines and books to Iraq on Monday.

Teen-ager charged in rifle shooting
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. {AP} A teen-ager who considers himself a neo-Nazi skinhead likely will be tried as an adult in the slaying of a 6-year-old girl and the shootings of her two sisters with an assault rifle, a prosecutor said Monday.

Kids crowd White House lawn for Easter egg roll
WASHINGTON {AP} Alexander Hamilton was eager to compete in the Easter egg roll at the White House. When the whistle blew, the 3-year-old inched his egg forward with a plastic spoon. Then he froze in his tracks and frowned.

Man pleads guilty to murder in Shepard slaying
LARAMIE, Wyo. {AP} One of two men charged in the killing of gay college student Matthew Shepard pleaded guilty Monday to murder, admitting he tied the bleeding young man to a wooden fence and left him for dead on the prairie.

FBI agent: Suspect confessed role in killings
SAN ANTONIO {AP} A Michigan man held on weapons charges has admitted an extensive role in what authorities believe was the kidnapping and murder of atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair and her two adult children, according to federal court testimony.

Congress reviews marriage penalty
WASHINGTON {AP} Congress is weighing at least one proposal to help some married couples, hoping to tap the budget surplus to cover the reduced revenue.

Man with AIDS virus sentenced
MAYVILLE, N.Y. {AP} A man accused of infecting least 13 young women with the AIDS virus through unprotected sex was sentenced Monday to four to 12 years in prison.

Judge OKs baby switch settlement
UENA VISTA, Va. {AP} A judge on Monday approved a $2 million settlement for one of the families who was given the wrong baby in a hospital nursery, but the girl's biological mother is fighting the agreement and may seek custody of the child.

TV show features missing 6-year-old
SAGINAW {AP} Volunteers have joined the search for missing 6-year-old Opal Jo Jennings, and her disappearance was mentioned on a national television show.

Clinton vows to persist against Milosevic power
WASHINGTON {AP} The American-led NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia will continue "unceasing and unrelenting" until President Slobodan Milosevic reverses course in Kosovo, President Clinton said Monday as the alliance reported a quickened pace of air strikes and the arrival of more firepower.

Study: Cancer drug fights heart disease
BOSTON (AP) The experimental drug that caused a sensation when it was found to wipe out cancer in mice by choking off the tumors' blood supply is also showing promise against heart disease.
The treatment involves the Harvard-developed drug endostatin, which has been shown to be remarkably potent against cancer but has not been tested yet on people.

Dona Sedgwick
EAGLE LAKE (Special) Services for Dona L. Sedgwick, 49, of Eagle Lake will be at 10 a.m. today in First Baptist Church with the Rev. Brent Beasley, pastor, officiating.

Nick Froese Jr.
SEMINOLE (Special) Graveside services for Nick Froese Jr., infant son of Nick Froese and Katharina Fehr of Seminole, will be at 6 p.m. today at Gaines County Cemetery's Babyland with John Froese officiating.

Shane Collins
Services for Shane Edward Collins, 23, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in A.W. Wilson Chapel of Jamison's Funeral Home with the Rev. Johnny Barnes officiating.

William Thornton
DIMMITT (Special) Services for William E. Thornton, 83, of Dimmitt will be at 3 p.m. Saturday in First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Rusty Dickerson, pastor, officiating.

Larry Baird
Rosary for Larry Baird, 30, of Lubbock will be recited at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Guajardo Funeral Chapels.

William Hatler
MONAHANS (Special) Services for the Rev. William H. Hatler, 60, of Monahans will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Southside Baptist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Law officiating and at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Peaceful Gardens Chapel in Lubbock.

Edward McGee
Services for Edward McGee, 19, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with bishop Thomas Ashdown officiating.

Ernestina Aguilar
HEREFORD (Special) Services for Ernestina Aguilar, 54, of Hereford will be at 2 p.m. today at Rose Chapel of Gililland-Watson Funeral Home with the Rev. Ernest Rodriguez, pastor of Iglesia Bautista Fundamental, officiating.

Elton Griggs
Services for Elton E. Griggs, 76, of Lubbock will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Resthaven Abbey Chapel with the Rev. Jimmy Fikes, pastor of South Park Baptist Church, officiating.

Millyann Brown
Services for Millyann Alice Smith Brown, 95, of Mount Pleasant will be at 10 a.m. today in the Abbey Chapel at Resthaven Funeral Home with the Rev. Joe Lee officiating.

Atmar Atkinson
ROCKPORT (Special) Services for Atmar Leonard Atkinson, 85, of Rockport will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at First Methodist Church with Dr. George Joehnk and the Rev. Doug Hinchcliff officiating.

Beulah Friedman
Graveside services for Beulah M. Lusk Friedman, 92, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. today in Resthaven Memorial Park with David Peebles officiating.

Curtis Sinor
BRIDGEPORT (Special) Services for Curtis Leslie Sinor, 41, of Bridgeport will be at 10:30 Tuesday at Hawkins Chapel.

Ricardo Silva and Angelica Silva
MERKEL (Special) Services for Ricardo Hernandez Silva, 10, and Angelica Juanita Silva, 8, both of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. today in Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church with the Rev. Tim Guthridge officiating.

Shirley McLain
HART (Special) Services for Shirley McLain, 63, of Hart will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church of Hart with the Rev. Jack Lee, pastor of First Baptist Church of Shamrock, officiating. Jerry Kittrel of Hart assisting.

Eluterio Castilleja Sr.
Services for Eluterio "Luther" R. Castilleja Sr., 76, of Petersburg will be at 1 p.m. today at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Petersburg with the Rev. Timothy Judd officiating and the Rev. Louis Dussan assisting.

Evelyn Bundrant
PORTALES, N.M., (Special) Services for Evelyn Bundrant, 79, of Portales, N.M., will be Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church in Portales with the Rev. Janet Hansen and Kenneth Broad officiating.

Ethel Joiner
Graveside services for Ethel Joiner, 86, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. today in City of Lubbock Cemetery with the Rev. Willie Griffin officiating.

Nicolasa Martinez
O'DONNELL (Special) Rosary for Nicolasa Martinez, 76, of O'Donnell will be at 7 p.m. today at St. Pius X Catholic Church.

Billie Caylor
POST (Special) Services for Billie Mae Caylor, 90, of Post will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Hudman Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Terrace Cemetery.

Johnnie Hogg
O'DONNELL (Special) Services for Mrs. Johnnie P. Hogg, 90, of Big Spring will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church in O'Donnell with Brad Snellgrove officiating and Richard Rush, pastor, assisting.

Liborio Rios
Rosary for Liborio Salazar Rios, 84, of Lubbock will be at 7 p.m. today in White Funeral Home Memorial Chapel.

Nell Lyda
Services for Nell V. Lyda, 76, of Lubbock will be at 2 p.m. today at Chapel of Angels Funeral Home with the Rev. Barry Tilley officiating.

L.C. Bigham
Services for L.C. Bigham, 76, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in First Baptist Church in Abernathy with the Rev. Tom Reynolds officiating. The Rev. Mike Wilcox will assist.

Velma Calder
ANDREWS (Special) Services for Velma Calder, 86, of Andrews will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. Mike Henson, pastor, officiating.

Morlow Dees
PLAINVIEW (Special) Services for Morlow Dees, 83, of Plainview will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Lemons Memorial Chapel with the Rev. Don Robertson, pastor of College Heights Baptist Church, officiating.

Diante Rincon
Services for Diante Castro Rincon, 9-week-old son of Michael Rincon and Olivia Castro of Odessa, will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday in W.W. Rix Chapel with cremation under direction of Rix Funeral Directors.

Juanita Hernandez
MERKEL (Special) Services for Juanita Rosas Hernandez, 68, of Merkel will be at 2 p.m. today in Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church with the Rev. Tim Guthridge officiating.

Eduardo Alvarez
SILVERTON (Special) Services for Eduardo Alvarez, 12, of Silverton will be at 4 p.m. Thursday in Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church in Silverton with the Rev. Ed Graff, pastor, officiating.

Velma Norton
Services for Velma Norton, 83, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. today in Wayne Avenue Baptist Church. Officiating will be the Rev. Jesse Gillham pastor.

Jimmie Smallwood
DALHART (Special) Services for Jimmie Lee Smallwood, 82, of Dalhart will be at 10 a.m. today at Channing United Methodist Church with the Rev. Bob Miller, pastor of South Georgia Baptist Church in Amarillo, and the Rev. Monte Wike, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Matador, officiating.

Odessa Harbison
Services for Odessa Futch Harbison, 77, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday in Trinity Church Chapel with the Revs. Paul Jantzen and George Jackson officiating.

Rangers relying on Helling
ARLINGTON (AP) Rick Helling went into last season as the sixth starter in the Texas Rangers' five-man rotation. He goes into this season as the team's ace.

Rockies open season with a bang
MONTERREY, Mexico {AP} As America's pastime opened for the first time in Mexico, it was a festive evening for everyone except the defending NL champion San Diego Padres.

Rangers victimized by near no-hitter, fall 11-5
ARLINGTON (AP) The first opening day start of Brian Moehler's career wasn't going very well. He had to cut his pregame warmup short because he didn't feel comfortable on the bullpen mound. And he wasn't too comfortable with his stomach, either.

Wohlers falters in comeback
ATLANTA {AP} The scene was familiar: Mark Wohlers trotting in from the Atlanta Braves' bullpen in the ninth inning of a tight game.

Grand Opening
Right off the bat, baseball showed signs that 1999 might be a repeat of a most remarkable season.

Vikings agree to terms with George
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. The Minnesota Vikings, who were led to the NFC championship game last season by Randall Cunningham, are taking a chance on another quarterback with something to prove.

Former pilot claims RBTI sorties too loud
Retired Col. Bill Weida contends the U.S. Air Force has intentionally underestimated projected noise levels for low-flying bombers to be used in training exercises over the South Plains or southeastern New Mexico.

Red Raiders rebound with Iowa St. sweep
After spending a weekend feeling like they could do nothing right, the Texas Tech baseball team closed its Big 12 Conference series with Iowa State feeling like it could do almost nothing wrong.

Tech Baseball Notes
Even including the two victories this season, Texas Tech still trails the all-time series with TCU by a 63-51 margin. Under coach Larry Hays, however, the Red Raiders lead the series with a 25-20 record.

Bickerstaff fired as Wizards coach
WASHINGTON Under Bernie Bickerstaff, the Washington Wizards became a tentative, underachieving team that froze in the fourth quarter, with little hustle for the big rebound or loose ball.

Tech's Sultemier wins title at rodeo
BIG SPRING Kelli Sultemier won the All-Around title, leading the Texas Tech women to the team championship at the Howard College Intercollegiate Rodeo Association Southwest Region Rodeo last weekend.

SLOC says housing may not go toward homeless
SALT LAKE CITY {AP} The Salt Lake Organizing Committee's new president told a coalition of homeless advocates on Monday he cannot promise housing that could benefit low-income resident will be left after the 2002 Winter Games.

Sports stars to lead 'Go For It' roadshow
The "Go For It!" roadshow will bring its multimedia sports spectacular to the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum today, Wednesday and Thursday for Lubbock and area middle school students.

Lubbock Junior Rodeo scheduled
The ninth annual Lubbock Junior Rodeo sponsored by the Lubbock Optimist Club and the Texas Tech Rodeo Association will be held April 24 and April 25.

Banned drugs sold across border
McALLEN {AP} Fenfluramine, the banned half of the "fen-phen" diet drug combination, is still cheap and available just across the border.

Jury to decide custody of boys
DALLAS {AP} Jury selection began Tuesday for a parental rights trial involving a mother whose two young sons admitted to participating in the sexual assault and beating of a 3-year-old girl a year ago.

Yuri Skuratov says dismissal 'unfounded'
MOSCOW {AP} Russia's ousted top prosecutor on Monday said his dismissal by President Boris Yeltsin was wrong and promised to reveal details of his controversial struggle against the Kremlin.

Chinese dissident wants to visit father's grave
BEIJING {AP} A veteran Chinese dissident who slipped out of China to avoid arrest for his political activism headed home Sunday to pay respects at his father's grave and test a blacklist of exiled activists.

Dissident's attempt to return foiled
BEIJING {AP} A Chinese dissident made it no further than a South Korean airport Monday before authorities foiled his attempt to return home and challenge Beijing's blacklist of exiled opponents.

Muslims, Christians clash on Easter Sunday
NAZARETH, Israel (AP) Easter Sunday turned violent in the town of Jesus' boyhood when clashes erupted between Christians and Muslims, angry over the planned construction of a plaza for millennium Christian pilgrims near a mosque.
Thousands of young Muslim men gathered at the disputed site near the Church of the Annunciation, where Muslims have been holding protests for nearly a year.

NATO hits Serbian oil facilities
BELGRADE, Yugoslavia (AP) NATO warplanes and missiles attacked an army headquarters, oil refineries and other targets in and around Belgrade on Sunday, while Yugoslav forces drove toward Kosovo's western mountains where ethnic Albanian guerrillas were preparing a last stand.
Some refugees overwhelming neighboring regions were flown to European countries as relief agencies and Western nations struggled to help the more than 300,000 people forced out of Kosovo.

Muslims demand mayor's resignation
NAZARETH, Israel {AP} Muslims demanded the resignation of Nazareth's Christian mayor on Monday, a day after sectarian clashes in the town of Jesus' boyhood disrupted its long-standing record of religious tolerance.

Pan Am bombing suspects await trial in Netherlands
CAMP ZEIST, Netherlands (AP) The United Nations suspended sanctions against Libya on Monday after Moammar Gadhafi surrendered two suspected Libyan intelligence agents for trial in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet.
The handover hailed by Clinton administration officials as a victory against terrorism ended seven years of punishing sanctions against Libya and began what could be a lengthy trial process in the Netherlands.

Dignitaries to witness prisoner transfer
CAIRO, Egypt {AP} Arab and African dignitaries began arriving in Libya on Sunday to witness the handover of two suspects in the 1988 Pan Am bombing, a sign their extradition is imminent.